°S94 J Nelson and Palmer on Five New Birds from Mexico. 7Q 



The abrupt occurrence in the depth of winter of a species that 

 subsequently appears in greater numbers in the height of north- 

 ward migration is imputed to migratory movement of an isolated 

 community, the birds coming from the north if cold and from the 

 south if warm. 



(To be concluded.} 



DESCRIPTIONS OF FIVE NEW BIRDS FROM 

 MEXICO. 



BY E. W. NELSON AND T. S. PALMER. 



Megascops pinosus, sp. nov. 



Type No. 131517, $ juv., U. S. National Museum, Department of 

 Agriculture Collection, from Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico, June 9, 1893. 

 Collected by E. W. Nelson. (Original No. 1235.) 



Measurements: Wing, 132 ram. (5.20 in.); tail 61.5 mm. (2.38 in.) ; 

 tarsus, 28 mm. (1.18 in.). 



Color. — Crown including ear tufts, neck and back, with upper tail 

 coverts, dark clove brown obscurely mottled and faintly barred with dull 

 cinnamon with faint traces of dull grayish. About the neck behind is a 

 narrow collar in which the feathers are distinctly barred with grayish and 

 dull cinnamon. Feathers of chin, cheeks, ear coverts, lores and sides of 

 forehead grayish white irregularly and finely barred and mottled with black- 

 ish brown. Entire lower surface except chin barred with grayish white 

 and clove brown, the white bars being shaded or washed in part, particu- 

 larly along the flanks, with pale cinnamon. In many instances the brown 

 bars are connected by fine shaft-lines of brown which do not affect the 

 general pattern. The barring on the throat and upper breast is finer or 

 narrower than elsewhere. The rest of under surface has the alternate 

 light and dark bars, three of each on each feather, of equal width and 

 strongly contrasted. This produces a strong pattern of coarse light and 

 dark barring which is quite unlike that of any other member of this group 

 known to us. The feathering of feet and tarsus is dull grayish mottled 

 with dark brown. Toes scantily feathered. Quills clove brown with 

 a series of light, semi-circular and subquadrate spots along margin of 



